A New Beginning
by tilinelson2
Summary: This story focus on Anna's mysterious past prior to PSII events. It is a follow-up to Her Darkest Hour, so I recommend you reading it before this one. In my user profile there is the correct order for reading the stories.
1. Deciding Her Future

The transport parked in front of the large steel gates of a very large building complex, surrounded by concrete and steel walls. At the gates, there were two turnstiles with biometric electronic devices to identify people who entered the building. At the counter, two Polezi robots stood ready, just in case. The robots were partly responsible for the security of the military camp. They were quite common in Palma, but combat robots were rare on Motavia. People from Motavia were used to common robotic systems, but only the largest cities could afford combat androids. Besides, the central government on Palma, mostly ruled by Mother Brain decisions, did not allow Motavia to have a large military force, fearing rebellion. That is why crime was so widespread in Motavian poorest cities. And because of that, most people, like Anna, were unaware of the combat androids existence.

Anna was amazed. She had never seen such advanced electronic devices and that was just the security system at the gates of the building. Her former village was rather poor compared to Zema and, though the environment was fully controlled by computers, automated devices were not a reality in common people's lives. In Zema, everything was different: all the buildings were modern, the streets and sidewalks clean and neatly arranged by robots. Many electronic and robotic devices were installed everywhere, doing basic and complex tasks. Cars and scooters were all-automatic. There were no signs of masonry buildings; all the buildings were made by steel, synthetic polymers, concrete and other high tech materials. It was like Anna had lived in a medieval city and was being taken to an advanced civilization. Her hopes would be that her life would change as well, though she knew she would never forget her tragic past. She could not stop remembering the night when her parents, sisters and brother were murdered. But, as long as she lived, she would never be able to forget that anyway.

"We have arrived, I hope you have enjoyed the ride." said the conductor. "Colonel Numar, I hope you were not bored by the trip. I know you are accustomed to use the teleport, but as you insisted in coming with the girl, I hope the trip was not so dull."

"Don't worry, officer, it was not so bad. By the way, our friend here is not bored at all. Are you, Anna?"

"Uh, oh, excuse-me, sir, I was so fascinated with all those things I've never seen before that I didn't listen to you." Anna shouted, startled.

"Oh, don't worry, it wasn't important." He turned to the conductor, chuckling. "See?". Turning to Anna again. "Pick up your things, let's go.".

Anna hurriedly picked up her things, thanked the conductor with a shy smile and walked towards the gates of the building, always a step behind the colonel, as if she needed his protection from the building. In fact she wanted some sort of protection from the world. She was still just a girl, thirteen, with no one to trust, no experience. After her parents were killed, she lived by herself, but she wished to be protected from the dangers of life, not to deal directly with them. If she managed to survive, it was by doing things out of despair, killing people as a result. She didn't want those things to happen anymore. As they arrived at the gates, the colonel gave room to Anna pass before him.

"Anna, please, stay on the yellow pad on the floor, so the equipments will identify you."

Anna cautiously stepped on the yellow pad. After some seconds, several electronic devices automatically adjusted to her position in order to scan her iris and make other biometric measurements. They scared her a bit, but she was ashamed to show her embarrassment with the modern electronic devices, so she stood firmly, swallowing her fear. After some seconds, an alarm rung out loud and the two Polezi robots immediately got ready, one blocking the passage and the other pointed a gun to Anna. Anna let out a loud scream of fear and crouched, with her hands trying to protect her head. "_Oh, my God, they discovered my crimes. They'll kill me, they will arrest me!_" She was deadly scared and she had reasons for that, as she had already murdered two men in the past and she feared her crimes would be discovered sooner or later.

"Damn!" Colonel Numar took a card from his pocket and inserted in a panel on the turnstile. In two seconds or so, that seemed to Anna like ages, the alarm stopped and the Polezi stopped pointing the gun to Anna. It returned to the original position, while the other Polezi presented the reasons of the alarm. "Invalid data. Anna Zirski's profile age is 16, but her actual age is 13. Possible fraud detected."

"Oh, sorry, Anna, I didn't know that the security level was so high. I'll have to get someone to hack the data."

"Is it safe for me to enter?" Anna, still afraid, replied with a faint voice, while slowly standing up again.

"I think so." His tone did not transpire the confidence Anna was expecting.

Colonel Numar inserted some commands on the panel and the robot left its place, leaving the way open for Anna. She was a bit unsure whether she should risk entering the training camp, fearing for her life. With a reassuring expression from the Colonel, she carefully passed through the turnstile and started walking slowly into the pathway that lead to the main buildings of the complex, always keeping an wary eye on the robots.

Colonel Numar crossed the gates too and was following Anna closely. Suddenly, one of the Polezis made a click. Anna started running as fast as she could, screaming "Help! Help!", attracting the attention of every person nearby, till the robots were out of her sight. The colonel couldn't prevent laughing from the despair of the girl, as the robots were standing still in their places.

After this disastrous start, Colonel Numar reassured Anna the robots would not chase her again. He then took her to a room into the main building, where another officer would be waiting for them. Anna, still nervous, tried to calm herself by observing the interior of the building. It was also very automated, with electronic devices and machines in many places. The air inside the building was refreshing and clean. The furniture was very modern and functional. Some marble vases decorated the corners of the large corridors, providing a natural contrast to the futuristic building. Anna felt at ease. Though she was not sure of what she was to expect and she knew her short future, and maybe her whole destiny, would be sealed there, it was much better than living in the dirty slums, amongst the dredges of the society, being mistaken for a hooker, fearing for her life every day and every night.

Colonel Numar left her seated on the waiting room and went to attend some business. Anna stayed watching workers come and go. Some of them used military suits, some of them used civilian clothes. Anna was still unsure what Colonel Numar had in mind. Most probably he would use her as an assistant or a maid, not really an officer, at least for now. She was sure he had only taken her out of pity, because of Jake´s insistence, and she was glad for that. Anything would be better than to keep on living in the slums, doing illegal work, being constantly harassed. For the second time she had lost everything. For the second time she was to restart her life from the scratch. She knew it wouldn't be easy, but everything she longed for was to have some peace, so she could seek a new beginning for her tormented life.

After more than one hour waiting, the girl was bored. She had already checked her things many times, just to make the wait not so boring, but then she was bored of checking her things over and over again. Finally, after much waiting, one of the secretaries called her and guided her to the door of one of the offices. There, she was taken inside the office by another secretary. Her first impression was that her conversation would be very serious. Everything inside the office was in order. There were no papers out of place, no personal belongings left on the furniture, the chairs correctly positioned on their proper places. The room was clean and tidy, the decoration was frugal, the furniture perfectly positioned. The room was completely noiseless and had no particular smell. The officer behind the desk had a serious expression in his face. His suit was impeccable and bore dozens of medals, signaling he must be a great authority. Anna didn't understand anything about military ranks and its meanings, but she was sure the man should be very powerful inside the military.

"Please, Ms. Zirski, come in. Leave your things in the corner and take a seat." The deep bass hoarse voice of the officer startled the girl, who blushed.

Anna shyly nodded, dropped her belongings in the corner and walked to the chair, avoiding eye contact with the man. She was engulfed by the large chair and cowered in its back, looking down and waiting for further instructions.

"I was reading your record, Ms. Zirski. Looks like Colonel Numar had indicated you to enroll the officer academy."

"Offi..fi.. cers... aca...ca...demy?" Anna was really surprised. She never thought she would be assigned to the officer academy immediately.

"Yes, that is what is written here." The officer pointed to the datapad screen. Then, he pressed a button on an electronic device. "Ms. Krusleva? Please, send Colonel Numar to my office."

A period of silence ensured. It was as if Anna was not present on the room. She cowered further in fear. She was feeling an unusual anxiety, her hands were sweating, she was lightly shivering. In her mind, many thoughts made her feel confused. She had never seriously though of being a military officer. In all her teenage dreams, she always considered of having a career more traditional to women, probably linked to arts. To become a soldier was something she had never thought about, though thinking better, maybe she was fit to the job. She had become a cold-blooded woman, who could kill without feeling remorse. No, she felt a lot of remorse, it was almost unbearable. She prayed constantly, asking for forgiveness. The images of her murders were recurring nightmares on her mind, along with the images of her family being murdered. But, if it was possible to use her job to save lives, to protect the weak from abuse, to end conflicts, she would gladly take the military job. She'd prefer some civilian strategic-related position, like a guardian, but she didn't know how it worked on military to become a guardian, so she resigned to become an officer. With those higher spirits, she decided to face whatever her fate, on the behalf of Colonel Numar, had reserved for her.

After a couple of minutes or so, time enough for Anna to think, to get anxious, to get more anxious, to almost panic, the colonel stepped into the room. The officer had stood up and was walking in circles while he waited for the colonel to arrive. The colonel greeted his superior with the proper salute and then was invited to enter the room. The conversation that followed left an awkward feeling in Anna. It was hard to see the two strangers discussing her future while she was unable to do anything but listening and praying for a positive outcome.

"Colonel Numar, so you have indicated Ms. Zirski to join the military academy... is it right?" The tone of the officer made Anna frightened.

"Yes, sir."

"From what I see here, she has no one responsible for her. No parents, no relatives. She also doesn't have money to pay for any of the private courses, so I'm guessing you are advising me to enroll her on the officer academy."

"Yes, sir."

An aura of tension filled the air. Anna cowered further on her chair.

"Well, the military life is not easy, colonel. From what I've read in her record, she has no prior training and no skills that indicate she would be a good soldier or officer. She is not studying anymore..." The officer cleared his throat. "You know, colonel, it is very unusual for a girl to apply to the military. Her life will not be easy, she will have to endure not only the hardships of the military training but also the constant harassment by the other trainees. We don´t train people to fail, so it is better that your little friend over there is really strong enough to endure the hardships of military training. She wouldn't want to know what it is to fail on military training."

The officer's last words made Anna panic. If she could, she would run away from that place immediately. She trusted Colonel Numar to sort out the situation for her, but, by looking at his face, his countenance betrayed anxiety. He was sweating. Anna had looked at him seeking reassurance, but ended panicking even further.

"I know, Sir. I´m sure she will be able to endure the military training and succeed in becoming an officer." The colonel´s voice betrayed doubt.

"Alright." The officer didn't seem to be satisfied. "You know very well, as the director of the academy, that the cost to train one officer is very high. I'd not like to see our valuable military resources spent in someone who will not make it. We are already upset that many of the officers you graduate here are quitting the military for greener pastures in private security business. Are you sure she can make it?"

"Yes, I am, Sir." The colonel pretended to be confident, though he doubted his own words.

"There is something else. This girl is an orphan, so she should be tutored by the state. You are not her legal tutor, so, in theory, I should not allow her in, unless I had received strict permission to enroll her in the academy. Do you know that what you are trying to do is illegal, do you, Colonel Numar?"

"Yes, I'm aware of that, sir."

"Well, Colonel Numar, this is a very delicate situation..." The officer seemed uneasy. "You know I trust you and I trust your good-judgment. I usually dismiss all the recommendations I receive because mostly are old officers trying to get a good education for their lazy sons. Your case is different, I know. I'm sure you don't have any secret agenda, any hidden interests in this girl here. At least I hope so. But, the truth is, do you really think she has what it takes to be an officer?"

"To be frank, General, I don't know. I think you should ask her." The colonel frowned. He had lost the hopes of helping the girl. He couldn't do anything against the general. Though he was the academy director, it was not up to him to decide who could and who couldn't join the military.

"Ms. Zirski..." The general turned to the girl, calmly, holding his hands on his back. "Why do you want to join the military?"

"We.. well..." Anna's voice was shaken. "Your... Highness... Excellence..."

"Just sir, please."

"Sir..." Anna was so anxious that she thought she'd be unable to speak. "I... I think I can... help people... seek peace... serve the planet..."

"Hm!" The general emitted the sigh to assure her he was listening.

"I know I may lose my life... It will be dangerous... but I think I am ready to put... the people's interests... over my own..."

"Hm!"

"I... I don't have anything left... I just... want to make... my life worthy of living... so I'm here to give myself... completely... to help all people living... in Motavia. I will do my best..."

Anna released a deep sigh. It had been too much for her, she just couldn't say a word more than what she had already said. The general had resumed walking to and fro, slowly, while thinking. Anna closed her eyes and cowered even further. She had taken a glance at the Colonel, but his face betrayed that he had almost no hopes that she would be accepted. That would mean she would be sent back. That meant she would be thrown on the streets again. That meant she'd be either arrested for her crimes or murdered by angry gang lords seeking vengeance. That meant that, even in the unlikely case that she went unharmed, she would have no hopes, no future. She'd be back to the slums. She'd have to seek illegal jobs. She would, most likely turn to crime or prostitution. Or she'd commit suicide. There was no hope.

"Very well, Ms. Zirski..." The general's voice was calm. "Very well... girl..." The pauses only increased Anna's anxiety. "I personally don't have anything against her, Colonel. The only problem I see is that she is just thirteen..."

The colonel was shocked by the revelation. His face went pale. He knew he had faked her data and he didn't expect that the general or the officer who would be in charge would check her info so soon.

"You know that we only admit people over 16. She just can't be accepted, Colonel Numar." The general had lost his usual coolness. He was somewhat angry.

"But..."

"You have faked her record. Colonel Numar, it is illegal and you know that!"

"It was the only way..." The colonel was embarrassed.

The general just shook his head, staring at the colonel in a way he could show all his displeasure with the colonel's wrongdoings. He seated on the chair, took the e-paper that was lying in front of him, signed it and handed to Anna, while staring at the colonel with a disapproval look. "Sign the blank line, please, Ms. Zirski."

"What?" Anna was astonished. She had watched the last scenes develop as if they were in slow motion. It was a surreal scene, each moment it was as if the castles she had built in the air were collapsing, her dreams being shattered. The terrifying images from her past came together, all at once. It was so much for her that she entered in a kind of trance. She would not be able to remember those moments in the future. She automatically signed the e-paper, without reading, not caring if it was an important document or not. If she was signing a confession for the most horrific crimes, signing in to be experimented on crazy medical experiments or signing a paper forfeiting her life, she didn't care. Her mind was so confused that she just wanted to get out of there. She returned the paper to general. The general stamped it with an official biometric stamp and saved the document.

"Ms. Anna Zirski. Welcome to the military academy." The general's tone was very cold, not inviting at all. The colonel released a loud sigh of relief.

"Tha... thanks... excellence..." Anna was unable to speak.

The general pressed a button on the electronic device. "Ms. Krusleva? We have a new officer academy student. Yes... the girl. Provide her a room. Thanks." Then, he turned to the girl again. "That is it. The secretaries will show you the way to your room." And then turning to Colonel Numar. "Colonel Numar, her presence here is your responsibility. I´ll take her, but be sure that if anything goes wrong, the blame will fall on you, as the academy director. It is an absurd to accept a thirteen here, but I'll give you the credit for your spotless record."

"Thank you very much, General." He closed his distance to the general, in order to make Anna unable to listen to him. "Talking about things going wrong, you know, she is a girl and we have very few girls here. You know, I´m not saying that it is dangerous, but in the past..."

"Rest assured, Colonel Numar." The general interrupted the colonel briskly. "Though you should know better, as you are the director, I know you spend more time out of here than here. Though, we will never let such things happen here. They potential offenders would lose an important part of their anatomy before they could even think in something doing like that." The general's tone was dismissive.

"You don´t know how to thank you, General Skarlopoff." The colonel grinned.

"You should be ashamed of your illegal acts, colonel. But now it is done. Well... you are dismissed now."

Colonel Numar saluted the general. He looked at Anna, who was still confused after the last events. She looked at the colonel and noticed his hints that she should do the same as him. She stood up in a hurry, almost causing the chair she was in to tumble. Embarrassed, she saluted the general, while her cheeks became red. The general dismissed them again with a wave of hands. Anna ran to her belongings and caught them. In her mind, she thanked God greatly, for giving her a new chance. She knew it would not be easy. She knew it was not exactly the thing she always dreamed of. She knew it could become dangerous. She knew she was not fit to the task and that she'd have to work a lot to do in order to meet up the expectations. She had a bad feeling over all that because she knew the two strangers were doing illegal things in order to help her. She wondered if she really deserved to be helped, as she was a sinner, a murderer. She still feared that one day they would discover her crimes and send her immediately to jail. She feared she would lose everything once again, as her life was an endless stream of new hopes, suffering and deception, new hopes, suffering and deception. Somehow, she still feared that the general had not accepted her application and was acting as if he did just to avoid her breaking down in tears in front of him.

As she was leaving the room, Colonel Numar tapped her lightly on the shoulder and welcomed her with a big smile on her face. "Welcome, cadet Zirski. I´m proud to have you in Motavian Military Academy!" Anna looked at him and smiled a sweet smile, a smile that was something rare in the poor girl´s face.

As she was stepping out of the general's office, she looked back, out of curiosity. The general was staring at a random spot, lost in his thoughts. She didn't expect that he would turn his face to her. She felt a sudden chill down her spine, wondering if the man would give a reprimand on her or say anything else, but he just waved his hand at her. She waved back and left, feeling a strong joy she had not felt for years. She knew her life would be hard. She knew she'd have to work a lot. She knew she would have to settle with a job that was not her choice, but the only dignified alternative life had presented to her. She still felt a deep solitude. She still wanted to avoid human contact. She still wanted to hide in her shell, to not suffer anymore. The images of her parents, brother and sisters being murdered were still in her mind. She missed them all dearly. Even so, now she had reasons enough to rejoice and thank her God. _"Thanks, God. Thanks for trusting in your poor wretched daughter. Thanks for not forsaking a terrible sinner. Thanks for giving me a chance to redeem myself from my errors. Thanks for giving to my life a new beginning."_


	2. Happy Again

Anna was taken to the dormitories by Ms. Krusleva. Ms. Krusleva was a tall blonde, close to her forties. She was not particularly unfriendly, but her serious expression made Anna uncomfortable. The secretary didn't say a word to Anna while they were crossing the training camp. Anna was curious, trying to catch a glimpse of the buildings, of people, everything, but the secretary was walking in a very fast pace, so Anna didn't have much time to take a good look at the place where she would live for the next two years. But then, she would have two years to take a good look in everything, grow used to everything, know everything by heart and eventually grow bored of it all. Anna was in fact more annoyed by the fact that, though she was really happy to be accepted in the academy, she had feelings of uncertainty. She was accepted, but then what? No one has ever cared to explain her what she would really face there and what she was supposed to do. She could only guess. As they were passing by a building with several numbered doors distant three yards from each other, Mr. Krusleva stopped.

"Ms. Zirski... your room will be number four. You will have some time to rest now. After dinner, you will have an appointment with the officer in charge of your group and receive the instructions."

"Thanks..." Anna's voice was almost a whisper.

The secretary pressed some keys in the panel and asked for Anna to position herself to have her iris scanned and have other biometric measurements taken. This time, Anna was less scared than the first time. The system returned an error, but no alarm was rung. Ms. Krusleva had already been instructed by Colonel Numar and dealt with the error. The steel door opened. Ms. Krusleva turned her back to Anna and started walking back to her office.

"If you have any questions, feel free to ask."

That was not really sincere. Anna had hundreds of questions to ask, but the secretary's tone was so uninviting that she chose to remain in silence. Anna shrugged and entered the dormitory. It was a small room, with three single beds, a large wardrobe and a small door in the back wall. The lights were immediately turned on as Anna stepped inside the room. She wasted some time realizing how to close the door, till she noticed that there was a small button on the panel by the inner wall written _close_. She pressed the button and the door closed swiftly. Anna started examining the room. All the three beds were neatly arranged. There were no other items that indicated that there was another person sleeping in that room. Anna considered it a good start. She preferred to be alone than in the company of a stranger. She remembered the time she spent in the orphanage, how difficult it would be to connect to a stranger. If she had befriended Sara, it was out of pity, as Sara was clumsy, silly and had some problems. Sara was a good girl, but if she was not that way, Anna would have never paid attention to her And Anna knew the lightning would not strike twice.

As she opened the wardrobe to pack her things, her hopes were frustrated. She saw some unfashionable plain dresses on hangers, along with some military uniforms. She was now sure that she would have at least one room partner and she was afraid it would be one of those stupid girls she loathed. But there was no point in suffering beforehand, so she started taking her things out of her bag and arranging them in the wardrobe. Her clothes needed ironing, as they were put inside the bag in a hurry, but she didn't care for that, at least then. As she had some free time, she thought it would be a good idea to take a shower and take a nap, as she had been wake since the day before. Sometimes it was as if she had murdered the gang leader years ago, but she had killed him the day before. She took her chances with the door in the back of the room and it was really what she expected, a small bathroom. She took a shower and then laid on the bed on the middle of the room to take a nap.

After some hours of sleep, which Anna couldn't account for, she was waken up by the sound of the door opening. She was still sleepy when she caught the sight of a short and somewhat ugly girl, with long auburn hair, freckles on her face and a prominent upper jaw. Her mouth was closed, but it was obvious that she had buck teeth. Anna feared that she would be one of those talkative and vain girls who she hated, but, as soon as the girl noticed Anna, she just blushed, looked down and, with a very shy smile, said "Hi". The girl was wearing some kind of uniform and seemed to be tired from some physical effort. Anna just answered the greeting and the girls stayed in silence for a long time. The girl went to the bathroom in order to take a shower. Anna fall asleep again. When she woke up again, the girl was seated on the bed closer to the bathroom, staring down and sometimes looking at Anna.

"What is it? Is there something wrong?" Anna asked in an aggressive way.

"No, nothing."

"So why are you looking at me?"

"It is just... that this used to be my bed..." The girl was very, very shy.

"Is it so important?" Anna was still aggressive.

"Not at all... I was just waiting for you... to wake up... to catch my slippers... which are under this bed. I didn't... want to... wake you up." The girl seemed afraid of Anna.

"Sorry..." Anna noticed she was treating the girl unfairly and tried to lighten the tone. She motioned to leave the bed.

"No... no... stay there... sorry, I don´t know your name yet. I´m Elisabeth."

"I´m Anna."

"Alright, Anna. Nice to meet you... You can stay there... Are you beginning here today?"

"Yes, I am." Anna sat on the bed.

"Nice. I hope we can become friends." The girl let out a shy smile.

"Well... yeah..."

Anna was a bit embarrassed. She was not outgoing and she was not willing to connect with people. She was afraid she would have to bear up with those frivolous girl, but at least Elisabeth seemed to be shy and quiet. She'd rather be alone, but Elisabeth was someone who could answer her questions. By talking with the girl, Anna learned something about the military courses and the routine inside the military academy. By the time Anna had her appointment with the officer, she already knew everything the officer had to tell her Hopefully, for her, Colonel Numar had already ordered someone to hack the security systems, so she went unharmed from then on.

Anna learned also some things about Elisabeth. Elisabeth was sixteen and a rookie at the military academy. She had been there for just two months, but she knew lots of things because her older brother was in the academy as well, for six months. She didn't want to be an officer, she wanted to be a doctor, but her parents couldn't afford the University, so becoming an officer was a way for her to study medicine when she graduated. Her dream was to act as a military doctor, helping people and the brave soldiers during the catastrophes. It would sound ridiculous years before, but lately Mother Brain was not preventing catastrophes as it used to. Anna also learned to call the girl Lizzie. In a few days, Anna had surprisingly took quite a liking for the girl. Lizzie was a bit silly by Anna's standards, but there was something in her naivety, something related to her being always a good-hearted girl, that made it impossible for Anna to not like her. She helped Anna a lot to overcome a bit her feelings and traumas.

As the days passed, Anna got used to the military routine. It was not what the girl most wished for, but it was reasonable. After the first weeks, Anna was used to the hard physical exercises. She converted her psychological strength in physical endurance and soon she was outperforming most of her colleagues. As for training with weapons, it took some time for her to get by. Though she was not the worst shooter in the academy, she was not comfortable with guns. Though the guns were not the only weapons used in military, they were the basic ones. Her superiors considered her a hard worker, but not a talented girl. The fact that she was not very social made them care less about her. She was only friendly with Lizzie. Sometimes she would exchange some words with Richard, Lizzie's elder brother, or one of the officers, but she would utterly ignore the frivolous teenage talk of the other girls or the flirty speech of the other boys.

Then, one day, things changed dramatically for Anna. The cadets were taken to learn the use of other weapons besides the firearms. Most of people would use get some skills in swords and daggers, but the military academy obliged them to take their chances in all the weapons available. During the training with boomerangs and slashers, the instructors always expected poor performances. Though the slashers could be deadly, it was one of the most difficult weapons to use. Unlike guns and swords, the boomerangs and slashers required a high precision to not seem frustrating, so most of the cadets would not waste more time than the mandatory trying to perfect their skills with them.

During her first class with boomerangs, Anna and some of the rookies of the academy, including Lizzie, were taken to an open field, where they would be taught the theory of boomerang fighting and be presented to the weapon. As a dangerous weapon with a large margin of error, the cadets, instructors and assistants would be protected by steel plates with hardened glass windows from where they could see the rookie performances. That security measure was needed because, unlike a gun shot, the boomerang would travel towards the target and return, so staying unprotected was dangerous. The instructors expected the rookies to understand the motion of the boomerangs in no less than three throws and that a few would hit one of the targets in about five or six throws, and that time there was no exception. One of the rookies managed to hit the arm of a mock in his third throw and his performance was celebrated. More rookies managed to hit the steel plates that protected the spectators and one even managed to hurt himself trying to run away from a returning boomerang.

When it was Anna's turn, the instructor repeated his orders to her and returned to his protection. He was not paying attention to Anna, as he was hardly excited with the rookies' training. Anna concentrated, took some paused breaths, which were mistaken for hesitation and finally threw the boomerang. The boomerang described a steady elliptic path in the air and, to the spectators surprise, hit the mock in the torso, severing it. To add to their surprise, Anna calmly retrieved the boomerang, as it returned to her. The assistant was shocked and overjoyed.

"Did you see that? Did you see that?" He tapped anxiously the shoulder of the instructor.

"In fact, I didn't. What happened? The girl got hurt?" The instructor was hardly excited, chatting with another officer.

"Take a look!"

The instructor looked at the field and noticed that the mock was partially severed and the girl was standing in her place, with a puzzled face, with the boomerang in her hand. The assistant started running towards her.

"What have you done?" His tone frightened Anna.

"I just... threw the boomerang..." Her tone was one of someone excusing herself for some mistake.

"Can you do it again?"

"Maybe..." Anna was still confused.

"Do it again. Aim at the second mock."

The assistant left to his protected position. He wondered if it was not just a beginner's luck, but, though the hit on the mock could be just an accident, the fact that she calmly retrieved the boomerang from its flight while most of the other cadets would simply run away was something already impressive. Anna did the same thing as before, taking some deep breaths before throwing. The audience was in an ecstatic silence. The boomerang started flying in the air, perfectly balanced. Incredulous eyes have seen the boomerang not only sever the head of the second mock, but also cut the lower torso of a third mock which was standing behind the second. In a few seconds, the boomerang was resting in Anna's hand again.

"Wow! I've never seen such a talent!" The assistant ran towards Anna again, followed by the instructor. "How were you able to do that? We've never seen anything like that coming from a rookie."

"Well... I was paying attention to the others. It is not that difficult, it is just that they don´t really concentrate..."

"Do you mean that you were able to make out how to throw the boomerangs just by looking your companions do it?" The instructor was now interested.

"Yes... I mean... it may not be easy to figure out at first, but then it is not that difficult... you just have to calculate the distance, the path the boomerang will describe and control the strength of the throw..." Anna was a bit embarrassed. She feared the instructors would scold all the other rookies.

"Well, Colonel Numar will be happy to learn his _protegée _is so talented with the boomerangs." The instructor was grinning at the assistant. "Well... Anna? From now on, your weapon of choice will be the boomerangs and slashers."

"Alright..." Anna shruged.

From that day on, she was not considered anymore the under-talented colonel _protegée, _but the slasher-girl. Her hard work was rewarded by allowing her to accelerate her studies. After a few months, she was closer to graduating than some of the rookies who had joined the academy before her. But that didn't mean that everything was perfect for her. Sometimes things didn't work as she expected. Though a hard worker and talented, she was not perfect and sometimes she made some mistakes. Sometimes she faced some dangerous situations. Very dangerous situations.

During one training in a simulated combat scenario, with real grenades, Anna got herself into a very dangerous situation. The grenades were set to explode in fifteen seconds, as a security measure. Fifteen seconds was considered time enough for the cadets to throw the grenades and go back to a safe position. Though, the simulated combat scenario, designed after the slums of the poorest cities, was not a safe place. When it came the time for Anna to throw the grenade, she was on a wooden platform and her target was on the floor. It was a pile of junk, simulating a combat robot. As Anna removed the safety pin and positioned herself to throw the grenade, she stepped on a cracked wooden board, that collapsed under her foot. She fell head on to the floor, while the grenade flew to a spot between her and the target. She was partially stunned by the fall. Her companions and instructors panicked, screaming, ordering her to retreat, but she couldn't move. Though the training grenades were not so strong as the regular ones, the position Anna was, with her head turned to the grenade, was potentially fatal.

Someone started running towards Anna. It was too late to pull Anna to a safe place or to throw the grenade to a safe place. The cadet laid over Anna's head, protecting it from the grenade shards with her own body. Anna was still stunned, but, after the explosion, she immediately recognized the wails of pain, as several grenade shards pierced the skin and the flesh from the legs and torso of the cadet. It was Lizzie. Anna felt as if the girl was dying over her, but her wounds were not mortal.

"Lizzie? Why?" Anna was desperate.

"I... I... had to..." Lizzie was contorting with pain, but had a faint smile on her lips.

"Oh, Lizzie... what can I say? You just saved my life..."

"I'm so glad..."

Lizzie blackened out and was taken to the emergency room of the military hospital. Her wounds were not mortal, but the grenade steel shards had penetrated her flesh deeply, puncturing one of her lungs and her stomach, breaking ribs and bones from her two hands, which she used to shield her own head from the grenade shards. Lizzie had to undergo several surgeries and stayed three months away from trainings. Anna felt guilt indirectly causing that to her friend, but Lizzie was less worried. Anna hesitated for some days before visiting her friend in the hospital.

"Lizzie..." Anna was feeling embarrassed. "... how do you feel?"

"Not that bad." Lizzie smiled. "I will survive. Soon I´ll be annoying you again."

"I've heard... you had... been operated..."

"Yes, many times."

"And how was that? Are you OK now?"

"They say they have mended everything."

"And what do you feel? Does it hurt?"

"It is fine. I only wished they had used the opportunity to make them bigger." Lizzie was looking to her own chest. "But the doctor said I had to hurt both to earn a complete remodeling. If only I knew..." Lizzie laughed shyly.

"Oh, Lizzie, how can you joke about that?" Anna swallowed hard, imagining the pain. "Doesn't it hurt?"

"It does a lot, but in some weeks I'll only have some scars left, to impress the boys. It is not too bad."

"I really hope so."

Anna thought a bit about what Lizzie had just said. She was happy to see her friend upbeat and optimistic, despite of her terrible ordeal. She would never forgive herself if Lizzie had died or suffered a permanent damage. Luckily that was not the case. To hear Lizzie joking about her own wounds was somewhat relieving. But it was somewhat strange as well. She couldn't laugh of Lizzie jokes. Lizzie was thinking about the boys. Lizzie was shy and ugly, so the boys hardly paid attention to her. Her body was not attractive as well, and now she would have ugly scars to make her even less attractive. Anna hardly paid attention to the boys, she was rather cold toward them. Because of the past tragedies of her life, she didn't want to think about love and relationships. It was too hard for her to remember her family murdered, what the scoundrels tried to do to her, what the drunken guy tried to do to Sara. And the silly teenage boys hardly excited her. She'd rather be left alone, though the boys were always amazed with her good looks. It was different for Lizzie. The girl longed for a relationship. Though she didn't act like the frivolous girls of the academy, she was a dreamer and a romantic. Anna unfairly lumped all the girls but Lizzie in the same category, as she couldn't stand the chit-chat of them all. Lizzie was different, but Anna knew she wanted to find a man to date, to marry. Anna was a bit saddened because, though Lizzie was the best heart she had ever met, she couldn't think of any boy who would want to have a serious relationship with Lizzie.

As the weeks passed, Lizzie recovered completely but for the terrible scars in her hands, legs and body. Lizzie didn't seem to care about them, though. She was anxious to return to the military training. Meanwhile, Anna had already completed almost all of her training. After the regular training, the cadets were supposed to take part of ten real missions before becoming a full-fledged officer. The missions were ranked as beginner, intermediate or expert and every cadet had to take part of at least one expert mission and three intermediate missions. None of the missions were supposed to be really dangerous, though from time to time one cadet would end injured and, more rarely, killed in action. The missions were very common, as Motavia didn't have a mobilized police force, so the government contracted the military to deal with organized crime. Most of the missions involved arresting criminals or capturing and dismantling their bases. Most of the time, the cadets volunteered themselves to the missions, but Anna was surprised when she was assigned for a mission.

Captain Stevens had asked the presence of Anna in a mission. Anna didn't personally know Captain Stevens and was curious to learn why he had chosen her. It would be a critical mission, though not dangerous. The group was entitled to seize a van right in the moment it would be delivering illegal drugs in one of the selling points in the outskirts of Zema. Seizing the van would not only cause huge losses to the drug dealers, but also would provide them hints to finally dismantle all the illegal operations. When Captain Stevens came to debrief the mission to Anna, he acted very nicely to her, saying he praised her efforts on training and would like to have her skills in his team. Anna was glad to be chosen. Captain Stevens seemed to be a nice guy and she immediately sympathized with him.

The mission was not a hard one. Anna didn't know that she would be crucial to its success. Captain Stevens counted on her agility and stealthy movements to seize the van while moving. Anna considered the plan a little crazy, but she went for it anyway. It was a thrilling experience to jump over the van while it was passing under an elevated pass and surf over it before being able to oblige the conductor to stop it with her slashers gently caressing his throat and the throat of his partner, who was on the passenger's seat, hanging on the car roof. Meanwhile, Captain Stevens and another officer overpowered the rest of the gang members who were hiding on the van trunk. The mission was a success and Anna built a partnership with Captain Stevens, doing most of her future missions with him.

On the military academy, Anna completed her training. She was allowed to leave the academy dormitories if she wanted, but she preferred to stay, as she had nowhere to go. At least, at the academy, she was under the protection of Colonel Numar, she had the company of her best friend, Lizzie, and some acquaintances, including some girls she removed from the group of frivolous girls she had invented on her mind. Anna was learning to be a bit more friendly and sociable. In almost two years, Anna had matured a lot. She learned to consider the academy as her home and part of its staff as her family. She felt happy for having been sent to the academy and she was growing fond of her job as an officer. More than that, she felt the protection she longed so much for. She knew she was safe inside the academy, free from the dangers of the slums. It was as if the filthy world outside didn't exist inside the academy.

Though, one day, her views would change again. One day, Lizzie returned from her training very late. Anna was already in the bed, but was startled by the sight of her best friend. Lizzie was weeping and walking very slowly, in an awkward way. The girl dragged herself to her bed and let her body fall on the bed. Her expression was of sadness, fear and pain. Her hair and dress were in a disarray. Anna went to comfort her friend.

"What happened to you, Lizzie, my dear?"

"Oh, Anna..." The girl seemed in shock, she could barely speak.

"Tell me, what happened to you?" Anna was deeply worried.

"I...can't... Anna... it is painful..." Lizzie was shivering in pain.

"Please, Lizzie, trust me..."

"No... Anna... leave me..."

Anna considered it better to leave her friend and ask her the next day. She was really worried with her best friend. She couldn't guess what had happened to the girl, but she knew it should have been something really serious. Sometimes Lizzie would cry for a silly thing, but she had never acted in such a scary way. When Anna woke up the next day, she woke up startled, as she was woken up by noises in the bathroom. She went to the bathroom to check what was happening. Lizzie was naked, desperately scrubbing her dress and underwear in the bathroom sink. Anna was puzzled by the girl's reaction, as all the clothes were washed in the laundry.

"What are you doing, Lizzie?" Anna asked with a friendly tone, while placing her hand on Lizzie's shoulder.

"Gahhh!" Lizzie was badly scared by Anna's touch. Anna took her hand from the girl's shoulder. "No... Anna... no..." The girl's eyes were red, tired of crying.

"Lizzie? Please, tell me what happened. Let me help you..."

"Leave me alone! Please, Anna, leave me alone!" Lizzie was in despair.

"Lizzie, you are my best friend. I love you. Let me help you."

"Not now... Anna... please..." Lizzie resumed scrubbing her clothes.

Anna, realizing that it would be useless, left her friend alone. She was deeply worried about the state of her friend, but she was powerless to help her. The girl would not say anything. Anna tried to erase the thoughts from her head, but she couldn't. Lizzie never acted like that. Something really serious should have happened, though she couldn't figure out what it could be. She imagined she had seen some blood in Lizzie's dress. For some days, only the doubt remained. Lizzie returned to her training, though she was not performing well, always anxious. Three days after the first incident, Lizzie arrived very late again, crying, acting in the same awkward way. Anna tried to comfort the girl, but Lizzie would resist any attempt of helping her. Anna was deeply saddened. The next day, she had enrolled to an expert mission, but her mind was on Lizzie. She never knew how well she performed the mission. Though Captain Stevens made large compliments to her and she was awarded a medal afterward, she couldn't remember exactly what happened in the mission. In fact, she had saved the day, slaying three scoundrels who had trapped Captain Stevens and the other officers in a corner and where about to kill them, but she had only Lizzie on her mind. When she arrived at her dormitory, Lizzie was not there yet. She would arrive past midnight, crying again. This time it was too much for Anna.

"Lizzie! Don't tell me it happened again!"

"Oh, Anna... Leave me..."

"No, not today! Not anymore!" Anna was nervous. She grabbed Lizzie by her frail shoulders. "Today you will tell me what happened to you!"

"Please... Anna... I just can´t..." Lizzie was in shock, walking like a zombie.

"No! You will tell me, Lizzie!"

"Let me... go to my bed..."

Anna let Lizzie go to her bed, but she followed her closely. Lizzie abandoned herself in her bed and buried her head on her pillow, sobbing bitterly. Anna was desperate. She couldn't stay there anymore, seeing her best friend crying and suffering almost every day. She had to discover what happened to her friend.

"Lizzie, now, tell me what happened." Anna stroked Lizzie's long auburn hair lightly.

"Please... Anna... leave me..."

"No, Lizzie! Today you will tell me what happened." Anna's voice was serene.

"Anna..."

"What happened to you? Did someone hurt you?"

Lizzie turned her face to Anna and stared at her. Her expression was of pure sadness. "Anna..." Lizzie sighed deeply. "A... man..." She was shivering and her last words were almost inaudibly. "abused me..." She buried her face again on the pillow.

"What?" Anna was indignant.

"A man... abused me!" Lizzie repeated, this time louder, in anxiety.

"I can't believe that!" Anna clinched her firsts. She had a sudden fit of rage. That could not be happening. Not with Lizzie. Anna couldn't believe it. Her safe haven was not safe anymore. She couldn't believe there was a man inside the training camp abusing girls. No, Anna had to do something about that. The man should me murdered. She felt the same urge to murder him, whoever he was, as she did with the gang leader back in her days in the slums. Anna couldn't accept that. Lizzie was ugly and unattractive, why would a man choose her among all the girls in the camp? Besides, Lizzie was the best person she had ever met. Why would God let something like that happen to Lizzie? No, Lizzie didn't deserve that. Whoever perpetrated that abominable crime to Lizzie should die. "Who did that to you?"

"Anna... leave it..."

"Who did that to you? I'll kill that man!" Anna was blind with rage.

"No, Anna..."

"I'll kill him! Please, tell me!"

"I can't... I must marry that man..."

"What?" Anna was indignant. How could Lizzie consider marrying the man that was causing her such humiliation, such pain?

"I must marry him... if I want to be a clean woman..."

"I can't believe you are saying that! I can´t believe you are saying that! I can't believe you are saying that!"

"I must..."

"I can't believe you are saying that! Lizzie!" Anna was angry with her friend. "In which world do you live? From where did you take that idea? From an ancient book? Lizzie, the man has raped you! It is a crime! The man is a criminal! He must pay for his crimes!"

"But Anna... it is shameful..."

"It is no shame to be a blameless victim of a filthy crime! Lizzie, you must help us to help you! You must tell us who this man is. He can't go unpunished! He can't keep torturing you, making you suffer! You must tell us! Please, Lizzie!"

"I can't... Anna... I can't..."

"Damn, Lizzie! Be reasonable! I just want to help you!" Anna was indignant. "Well, if you don't tell me who he is, I'll discover and bring his head to you, I swear. I'll not leave that go unpunished! Never! Even if it is the last thing I do in my life!"

"No... Anna..."

Anna left Lizzie and went to her bed, but she couldn't sleep. She couldn't stop thinking about the horrors her friend should have been enduring in the hands of that damned man. Even more because she realized the origin of the blood in Lizzie's dress and that was too much. If the abuse was already revolting by itself, imagine considering the man had stolen her friend's innocence. All she wanted was to avenge her friend. To murder that man. She would murder him mercilessly. How could someone be so abominable to do that with a woman? How could someone be so evil to do something like that to the most good-hearted woman the world had ever seen? No, that couldn't go unpunished. And Anna had a plan. She knew how to discover the man who was doing such abominable acts to her best friend. Unfortunately, her plans involved letting Lizzie be assaulted one more time, but this time would be the last. And she would make sure her friend would be avenged. She knew she could not change the past, and she would do anything to save Lizzie from her terrible fate. But, as it was not possible, she would make sure the man who had stolen Lizzie's innocence would die in the most painful way it was possible.

On the other day, Anna had nothing to do, so she decided to spy on her friend. After Lizzie afternoon training was over, Anna started following her. For her surprise, Lizzie was acting in an awkward way. She had changed her training uniform for a dress and was taking a route she'd usually not take to return to her room. It seemed as if Lizzie was taking the route that would take her to the man who would abuse her on purpose. Anna just couldn't understand the behavior of her friend. Lizzie had surely gone mad. Why would she act that way? Anna always considered Lizzie a bit silly, but that was too much for her to understand. She'd never accept someone would do that on purpose. That was stupid beyond belief. It was revolting. Abhorring. Loathsome. No, Lizzie couldn't be handing herself to that scoundrel so easily. But that was what was happening. After some minutes, while passing in front of some dormitories, a man stepped out of a room, grabbed Lizzie violently by the arm and dragged her inside the dormitory. Lizzie's expression was of fear, but she didn't fight the man. Anna just couldn't believe that. She couldn't accept that. She knew she had to do something about that and she would do something about that. Now that she knew who was the man who was doing Lizzie harm, it was time for him to pay.

That night, Lizzie arrived late, crying again. Anna couldn't sleep well again, imagining what her friend had just endured. She just couldn't understand why, but she would leave the talking for another day. She had a clear plan in her mind for the next day. The next day started as the previous day had, with Lizzie in terrible spirits, leaving for some more training. This time, though, the things would be different. First, Anna had to steal a slasher. The cadets and even the officers were not allowed to use weapons inside the academy, except during training and when getting ready for a mission. So Anna sneaked into one of the training camps and, when no one was noticing, stole a slasher. Then, she waited patiently for the evening to come. She went to the field were Lizzie and other cadets were taking physical exercises. By talking with the instructor, Anna invented an excuse to have Lizzie relieved from the day activities one hour earlier than the usual and the instructor easily complied with the request, given the poor state of the girl. Then, she took Lizzie back to their dormitory. Lizzie seemed uneasy. It was as if she really wanted to meet the man and was frustrated for being barred by her friend. But Anna didn't care, she just took Lizzie back, locked her in the dormitory and went out to meet the man.

As expected, the man was waiting for Lizzie to come. Anna made some noises and then stayed waiting by the wall of the man's dormitory. As the man came out to see what was happening, Anna, fast as lightning, grabbed him by the throat and pulled him violently towards the wall inside of his dormitory. She pressed the blade of her slasher in his throat.

"Surprise! Were you expecting someone else, eh?" Anna's voice was filled with sarcasm.

"Uh! Oh! Who... are... you...?"

"The one who will make you pay for what you have done to Lizzie!"

"What?" The man was a bit surprised, but he didn't show the fear Anna was expecting. He was a tall and strong man, with an always-serious countenance. His eyes had some hints of madness.

"Do you consider it fun to abuse her? Now you will see what I consider fun to do to someone who abuses an innocent girl."

"You don't know anything about that." The man was angry.

"Really? Why did you do that?" Anna was trying to hold back her true will, as she wanted to finish the man right there. She was sure he was mad.

"Because I love Lizzie!"

"What?" Anna was furious. "What are you saying."

"That... I... love Lizzie!" The man freed himself with a sudden arm movement and pushed Anna away from him. "I love Lizzie! Can't you understand that?"

Anna was shocked, both with revelation and with the fact that the man has freed himself so easily from her grip. For a moment she feared a fight, but the man turned his back on her. Anna was completely furious. She ran to the man and grabbed him by the arms. She was so furious that her mouth was foaming.

"How can you say that you love her, you rascal? You had raped her! This is not love! Can't you see the suffering on her face? The fear? The pain? You are a wretched abomination! How can you say you love her?"

"I had to do it." The man looked very calm.

"Had to do it? Had to do it? Had to do it? Rascal! You ruined the life of such a sweet and innocent girl!"

"I had to take possession of her."

"What?" Anna shook her head in disbelief. "Say that again and those will be your last words."

"I had to take possession of her." The man easily pushed Anna away again. "I had to make sure she would be mine! I love her and she knows that! I couldn't risk losing her! There is no woman like Lizzie!"

Everything was surreal for Anna, beyond her understanding. She could not believe what was happening. She wanted to kill that man. How could he be so evil to say he loved Lizzie? How could he be so sick to believe he was doing something right to Lizzie? No, that was not happening. She could not stay there, holding her slasher any longer. She had to kill that scoundrel immediately.

"Go ask your friend! I love her and she will be mine!"

"You are sick! You deserve to die!"

"Go ask her." The man crossed his arms, calmly. He was not even looking at Anna anymore.

Anna was furious, but now she was in doubt. She wanted so much to finish off that man, but she couldn't live with the doubt. She had to ask Lizzie again. She left the man and went back to her dormitory thinking, trying to make any sense out of the situation, but that was impossible. Could it be true that Lizzie wanted that? Of course not, she remembered how much Lizzie cried and suffered from that. But why would Lizzie accept to be abused. Anna knew that, if that was with her, she would either kill the man or die, but she would never let any man abuse her. Never like Lizzie was doing. She was accepting the abuses. She was handing herself to be abused. That the man was sick, Anna had no doubts. But Lizzie? No, she was feeling a fool. The man most probably threatened to kill Lizzie and even her brother. Lizzie had nothing to do, but to hand herself to the man. Anna should have killed the man, but now it was too late. So, she went back to her dormitory, depressed.

As Anna arrived in the dormitory, Lizzie was lying on her bed, staring blankly at the ceiling. Anna hesitated a bit, but she couldn't postpone that important conversation.

"Lizzie, I've been with the man who was abusing you."

"What?" Lizzie sat up, startled. "Did you... kill... him?"

"Not yet, though I'll certainly will. I just want to know why, Lizzie? Why do you let him do that?"

"Oh... Anna..." Lizzie started crying.

"No, Lizzie, please! Tell me!"

"Leave it... The way it is..."

"Never! I can't stand seeing you coming every night through that door crying! Lizzie! Please! I´m you friend, I want to see you happy. I don't want to see you crying and suffering, Lizzie. You don't deserve to go through that anymore." Anna embraced her friend.

"Please... let it be... Anna..."

"Why? Lizzie..."

"Let it be... I beg you..."

"Lizzie... it is not right... If he is threatening you, we will protect you. He will do no harm to you."

"Anna... please... It is not that..."

"So why, Lizzie?"

"Anna... let it be..."

Anna stayed a long time embraced with her friend, gently stroking her hair. She could not understand. She would never understand why Lizzie was acting that way, but she felt powerless to do anything. She swore to herself that if that kept on happening, she would kill the man, but she chose to wait a bit more. If Lizzie herself didn't oppose to what was happening, she could wait some days more.

In the following days, everything went normal. Lizzie arrived on time in the dormitory. Anna never saw her crying again. She was still confused, but relieved to see her friend regain her her usual joy again. Anna never saw or heard about the man who abused Lizzie anymore. Lizzie was feeling capable to perform her trainings again, so Anna considered inviting Lizzie for one of her upcoming missions. Anna was already finishing her mandatory missions and would graduate soon. Lizzie still had a couple of months of training, but was allowed to start taking part in missions. Anna felt it would be good for Lizzie if they were together on her first mission, as he knew Lizzie would be afraid and insecure. She didn't know though that this mission would be so remarkable for her.

The mission was to seize a house in the outskirts of Kueri that was used to distribute illegal drugs to drug dealers of the region. The mission was not supposed to be dangerous, as the house was guarded by not more than three guards each turn. The house was well-protected by high walls and electric fence, but, once inside the house, they should face almost no resistance. The strategy was to cause some noise on the main gate to distract the guards while Anna sneaked into the house jumping the side wall. Anna would then watch for any guards and instruct the others to invade and overpower the bandits. If something wrong happened, Anna could attack the bandits from her position. Anna sneaked in easily and secured a position on a terrace, from where she could see and listen the bandits. When everything was ready, she ordered the invasion. Apparently, there were only two guards inside the house.

The mission was going as planned, but Lizzie was feeling anxious. Instead of keeping her position with the main group, she climbed the wall and followed Anna. She would only feel safe with Anna, so, with some difficulties, she managed to sneak into the house. She started looking for Anna, but she was scared to be alone inside the house, so she eventually got lost. She climbed to the roof of the house and finally found the terrace where Anna was positioned. She decided to turn back, climb down and look for the terrace entrance, but she heard some footsteps under her. The footsteps seemed to be moving towards the terrace. She decided to hang in the roof, from where she could see Anna and the terrace door. After some seconds, a man appeared on the terrace door, holding a gun. Lizzie was in despair. She knew the guy would shoot Anna. As she had left her rifle outside, in order to climb up the wall, Lizzie only had a small dagger and she had not time to take her dagger and attack the man before he could aim and shoot at Anna. So, Lizzie jumped from the roof to the terrace, with her foot aiming the man's head. Her foot hit his chin and chest, making him fall backwards. Anna was startled and turned to see what had happened. The men fell still holding his gun. He aimed at Anna's head and shot, but Lizzie had positioned herself in front of Anna, taking the bullet on her shoulder. Anna, realizing what was happening, threw her slashers, amputating both arms of the man, who was trying to aim at Lizzie's head. The commotion attracted the attention of the guards who were near the gates, so Anna, in despair, screamed for help in her intercom. The bandits on the front yard had just turned their backs to see what was happening in the terrace when the gates were blown up by dynamite. Panic ensued and the rest of Anna's team invaded the building discharging their guns on everything that moved.

Anna went to hold Lizzie, who was having difficulties to stay standing. She comforted her friend and thanked her dearly for saving her life once more. Lizzie was calm, but worried about the man who was bleeding out. Anna, on her turn, was not concerned about him. She told the others that they were safe, but Lizzie was injured. Her companions ordered her to call for medical service while they searched the building. No other guards were found. As medical service came, Lizzie was desperate. The amputated man was dying and she begged them to help him first, but they ignored her appeals and left the man to die. Anna was feeling bad for that. How could Lizzie be so good? She had taken the shot just to protect Anna. She was more concerned about the scoundrel who had shot her than about her own health.

In the next days, while Lizzie was still recovering, Anna finished her last mission and graduated from the academy. She was very happy to have finally finished the course. Now she was a full-fledged officer, 2nd Lieutenant Anna Zirski. She was so thankful for everyone who made it possible, who took the degenerate homeless and hopeless girl in the slums and made her somebody. Trusted her. Gave her a chance to change. To prove herself worthy. She would always be in debt with Colonel Numar, Jake, General Skarlopoff, Captain Stevens and many others, specially Lizzie.

Lizzie was her friend and her savior. Twice. She was happy that Colonel Numar let her to remain living in the academy, as she had nowhere to go. She was still 15, so she would have to be sent to an orphanage again and both Colonel Numar and Anna preferred she'd stay in.

She visited Lizzie everyday while the girl was still in the hospital. She was happy to see her friend in high spirits, despite of the new wound. Lizzie was overjoyed that Anna finally graduated and felt even happier to learn that Anna would stay with her, in the academy. One thing that puzzled Anna was that she started receiving letters for Lizzie in the dormitory. At the beginning it was one every day, but then she started received five to ten letters everyday. She decided to take the pile of letters to Lizzie in the hospital, who was anxious to read them. Anna watched in amazement Lizzie devour the letters anxiously. Then, Anna can't stand anymore.

"Lizzie, what are these letters about?"

"Private... things..." Lizzie blushed.

"Don't be silly. Tell me. Who has wrote them?"

"Oh... Anna... you know who..." Lizzie was really embarrassed.

"Him?" Anna was angry.

"Please... Anna... try to understand me..."

"Alright, Lizzie... I´ll never understand... but if it makes you happy..."

"Thanks." Lizzie's smile was enough to remove any worries from Anna's mind.

As the days passed, Anna was growing accustomed to her life as an officer, performing her missions, training more and more. Her performance and dedication soon awarded her the 1st Lieutenant rank. She was happy, performing well in her job, with friends and acquaintances. It was the first time since the murder of her family that she could say he was really happy. Though she would never forget the tragic murder of her parents and all the suffering endured living in the slums, she felt she was ready to start from the scratch again, leaving the past behind and building a bright and happy future for her. If fate allowed her to do so.


	3. The Safe Haven Crumbles Once More

Anna´s next mission would be an important one, so, though being already a full-fledged officer, she would not be the leader this time, as she had become used to be in her last missions. Some anonymous calls revealed that there was a clandestine drug and explosives laboratory disguised as a paper factory in the outskirts of Zema. That shouldn't be a very dangerous job, but there were some risks. Besides, the higher officers would never trust a mission involving seizing large quantities of illegal drugs and explosives to rookies. They had already experienced many rookies and even some higher officers defecting to the criminal side. So they assigned the task to Captain Stevens, the friendly officer who had the sympathy from Anna. He chose Anna as the second officer plus Richard and Lizzie as the rest of the team, as part of their training. The mission was being dealt by military as usual. The central government on Palma had issued an order that any criminal group should be treated as terrorists, as they were betraying the public peace and order, so even the easiest missions started being dealt by the military.

The night before the mission, Anna started feeling an awkward feeling, as if something was oppressing her heart. She tried to dismiss the unpleasant feeling as caused by some ghosts of her past. She went to bed early, anxious. Lizzie joined her an hour later. Lying on the bed in front of Anna's, the girl noticed her friend was still awake, unable to get any sleep.

"Anna? Are you still awake?" Lizzie whispered with her childish voice.

"Oh, Lizzie? Yes... I am... I've been thinking about our next mission."

"Me too. You know, Anna, I can never relax before these missions. Sometimes I wonder if I'm already ready for becoming a full-fledged officer." Lizzie bit her lower lip. "You know, I have just three missions left as a cadet. Depending on my outcome, I'll finally graduate and become a second lieutenant. But I don't feel myself ready at all..."

"Well, Lizzie..." Anna was a bit embarrassed because she had joined the academy after her friend and had not only graduated, but also had been promoted to first lieutenant. "Sometimes I wonder if I'm ready..."

"Come on, Anna! You were always the first volunteer for every mission. No wonder you have already graduated."

"But, Lizzie..." Anna stared at her friend with a very serious countenance. "That doesn't mean I'm not afraid. This mission, for example, makes me feel uneasy."

"Why, Anna? Do you know something that I don't know?" Lizzie was worried.

"I don't know... I think it is just that I'm not feeling well today... don't worry, Lizzie."

"Alright..." Lizzie bit her lower lip again. She was unsure if it was the right time to come out with the personal subject she had in mind. "Anna..."

"Yes?"

"You know... it will be the last cadet mission for Richard. He has been postponing it, but now it is time."

"Really?" Anna was not in the mood for having a personal conversation, but Lizzie was her best friend and, technically, her only real friend, so she tried to show interest.

"Yes. Once he graduates, he intends to return home."

"I see. Your parents live far from here, don't they?"

"Yes, they do. It will be awkward, to be here without him. I'm so used to his company... I think if it was not his presence here, I'd have quit the academy at the first difficulty."

Anna rolled her eyes. "Come on, Lizzie, you are not weak as that."

"I know, Anna... still, it will be hard... I don't know if I'll make it..." Lizzie was looking down, sad.

"Lizzie! Hey!" Anna clapped her hands to get the attention of the girl. "Don't be stupid! You'll have only two missions left after this one. Volunteer immediately for the easiest ones and then you can graduate. Your record is not so poor, is it?"

"No, I have already the mandatory expert mission, plus a bunch of intermediates."

"So this one tomorrow will make it enough missions for you to graduate. You can take the silliest ones just to fill your record."

"That is true..." The girl was smiling. "Thanks, Anna. I don't know what I'd do if it was not you."

Anna rolled her eyes again. She liked her friend very much, but her silliness sometimes irritated Anna, specially when Anna was not feeling well. Lizzie had already been in missions with Anna and performed very well. She had even saved Anna's life twice during missions and once more during training. Though it would always be dangerous, there was no reason for Lizzie to panic. Besides, she was the most good-hearted person Anna has ever met. She could not be really irritated with the girl. Lizzie was her only real friend. She had helped her so many times that Anna would always be thankful. If it wasn't for Lizzie, she would probably not be there.

"I..." Lizzie bit her lower lip, as she always did when feeling anxious. "I don't know... if I should tell you that..."

"Now that you have already started."

"It is serious... Anna..."

"So tell me." Anna was impatient. She wondered if it had something to do with the mad man who was Lizzie's abuser and lover.

"Well..." Lizzie sighed deeply. "It is just that my brother Richard confessed me that he is somewhat unwilling to return to Piata."

"Isn't it what you want? Why are you so upset by that, Lizzie?"

"I'm not upset... it is just that..." Lizzie cheeks were red. "It is just that... he will not stay for me."

"Really?"

"Oh, I shouldn't have opened my mouth. Forget about that, Anna." Lizzie looked down once more, avoiding Anna's stare.

"Alright, so don't say it. I don't know why I still lose my time with your foolishness, Lizzie..." Anna had lost her patience.

"Uh..." Lizzie took the blow of Anna's harsh words in a hard way. She was oversensitive. Her eyes became wet. "Sorry... Anna..."

"It is fine. Now let me try to get some sleep."

"Sorry..."

Anna closed her eyes. She could notice by her friend's voice that she was crying. Though she hated that her friend was always oversensitive, crying for no reason, she couldn't help feeling bad when that happened. Lizzie was so sweet; to see her crying broke Anna's heart.

"I don't... want to lie... to you, Anna..." Lizzie was fighting back the tears. "You know... Anna... how much I love you... you are my best friend..."

"Oh, Lizzie, don't cry..." Anna's tone was compassionate.

"I'll tell you... it anyway... I can't hide it... from you..."

"Alright, Lizzie, calm down." Anna got up and walked to Lizzie's bed, where she seated by her friend's side, holding her hands.

"Thanks, Anna..." Lizzie smiled at Anna, while wiping out the tears from her eyes. "I know I'm silly... sorry... I didn't want to make you angry... at me..."

"I am not angry with you, Lizzie. Now, just tell me."

"It is just that... my brother... doesn't want to leave Zema... because he wants... to stay closer to you..."

"Me?" Anna was surprised.

"He told me... he wanted to ask you out... one of these days..."

"Really? Richard told you that?" Anna was unusually excited.

"Yes... Anna... he did."

"I never thought you brother had these things on his mind..." Anna was so surprised that she was not paying attention to Lizzie anymore. Why didn't he tell her that before? He never thought Richard had any interest on her apart for being his younger sister's best friend.

"Oh, Anna, how could you never notice?" Lizzie was somewhat surprised at Anna's surprise. "Have you never seen the way he looks to you?"

"I've never noticed anything, Lizzie."

"Do you think my brother would not be interested in the blonde bombshell who happens to be his sister´s best friend? Oh, Anna, you are too pretty to go unnoticed." Lizzie shyly laughed at her own comment.

"Are you sure? Well, you know, I´m not good at connecting with people..." Anna was feeling embarrassed. She had occasionally talked to Richard, specially during the days Lizzie was in the hospital, recovering from the shoulder injury, but she was not intimate with him. He seemed to be a nice guy, as his personality resembled a bit his sister´s, though he was more mature. Anna considered him handsome as well. He didn't resemble his ugly sister too much.

"Yes, I am. He confided me. Well, you know, the main purpose of having an ugly younger sister is to flirt with her pretty friends." Lizzie chuckled playfully.

"Oh, Lizzie, you are a beautiful girl..." Anna didn't know what to say.

"Ah, Anna, I know I'm not a beautiful girl, but I don´t care. Am I a good friend?"

"Of course you are! The best of the friends!" Anna hugged Lizzie.

"That is enough for me."

Anna stayed some moments, embracing Lizzie, thinking of what the girl had just told her. She knew that Lizzie was not really beautiful, as she had slightly buck teeth and freckles, which usually turned the guys off. Her body was not attractive as well, just plain. The only guy who seemed to be attracted by her was that mad officer. But she was the best of the friends and had a beautiful, pure and serene smile. That was enough for Anna. She knew Lizzie would be a much better wife than herself for any man. Anna had all her own demons to battle against. She was cold and hardly connected with people. She was so hard to connect with people that she utterly ignored almost all the other girls in the military academy, as she considered all them all stupid. Sometimes she got tired of Lizzie as well, but Lizzie was so good to her that she couldn't help loving the girl. As for her brother, well, she didn't know him very well. He seemed to be a nice guy and was even good-looking, but she was unsure. She needed to know him better. And she didn't consider herself a good girl to date, as she couldn't connect easily. She had traumas of her past. She had committed crimes. Definitely, she was not ready to date any guy.

Soon after, the girls went to bed again. Lizzie was much calmer and slept well. Anna, though, was not feeling well. She still felt that oppressive feeling in her heart. She prayed to her God, hoping it was just some silliness of her own mind. Despite almost being killed twice, Anna never felt that way before a mission, so she couldn't guess the origin of that bad feeling. She really hoped it would be only foolishness of her own mind.

The next day, things went smoothly. The girls didn't have anything to do in the morning, so they spent the morning concentrating for the mission. Anna was the loner kind. She preferred to not talk to anyone before the mission. She stayed at a corner, meditating. Lizzie was exactly the opposite. As much as she tried to leave Anna alone, being alone only made her feel more anxious. She wanted to talk a bit, but she respected her friend. Despite her anxiety, she usually performed well on missions. She never had killed anybody in action, though, and she hoped she would never kill anyone. Her refusal to shoot put her on unnecessary dangers, but she preferred that way. For Anna, killing was part of her job. She would not kill without a reason, but sometimes it was needed and she would not feel remorse.

After the lunch, the girls started getting ready. As second in command, Anna debriefed Lizzie again, giving her details of the mission. They would arrive at the paper factory by the evening, seize any guards that were left taking care of the clandestine drug factory, secure the positions and call for reinforcements, to take away the drugs and explosives found, if needed. According to the anonymous calls, the factory would be mostly empty around the sunset hours, as the guys would work mostly at late night. Some guys would stay there during the day, pretending they were working, just to dismiss the suspicions. It was not supposed to be a hard mission, though there was always risk of some gunfight, so they should be prepared.

Two hours before the sunset, Anna and Lizzie reunited with Captain Stevens and Richard. Anna felt awkward in being together with Richard. Though she tried to concentrate, she would pay more attention to him than she was comfortable with, just to try to catch any hints that he was really interested in her. Captain Stevens, always friendly towards the lower-rank officers, greeted them warmly and gave them the last instructions about the mission, trying to reassure them everything would be fine. After the instructions, they followed to the armory to get their weapons ready. Captain Stevens and Richard armed themselves with plasma rifles and swords. Lizzie armed herself with a plasma gun and a dagger. Anna loathed guns, so she armed herself with two deadly slashers and two daggers. She was much more comfortable with the slashers and no one ever doubted her skills, as she was considered the deadliest slasher fighter the military academy has ever seen. They picked up their weapons, their bulletproof vests and helmets and wore them.

The group then followed to the paper factory, at the outskirts of Zema. The paper factory was placed in a strategic block, with many other factories and few people passing by. Though their activities were illegal, it seemed to the few passersby as an authentic paper factory, not an illegal drug and explosives factory in disguise. People paid even less attention because papers were outdated technology; few people still used it. By the time the group arrived at the paper factory, the street was almost deserted. As planned, the group hid themselves by the walls of the nearby factories. Anna was ordered to sneak in and overpower any guard. It was her specialty. She walked, crouching, by the factory large iron gates. She climbed the gate in a spot that was not visible by the guard who stayed inside, watching for any suspect movement.

The guard was lazily resting in his observation post. He was carelessly looking for any strange movement, but nothing could be seen on the streets. He heard a noise behind him and before he could turn his head to look who or what caused the noise, he felt a sharp blade pressing his neck. He immediately released the gun he was holding and raised his arms. Anna instructed the man to slowly lower his left arm. As he did it, Anna handcuffed him, pushed his right arm down violently and handcuffed the free arm as well. The man was immobilized. She captured his rifle, opened the front gates using the control panel on the observation post and radioed to Captain Stevens, saying the entrance was cleared.

Captain Stevens invaded the factory, followed by Richard and Lizzie. Lizzie was a bit reluctant, but her brother gave him a reassuring smile. She had joined the military on her father insistence, following the steps of her brother. Though she didn't loath it, it obviously was not her first choice, as she wanted to be a doctor, but she resigned to her fate and she hoped she would be able to study medicine after graduating. If it was not her brother's support and her friendship with Anna, she'd certainly have quit a long time ago. But now she was getting used to the job. She hoped to graduate soon and be able to serve her planet, though she was still uncomfortable with the idea of having to shoot, and eventually kill people, even in dangerous situations.

The group entered the large court, which served as garage and platform for loading and unloading materials. It was deserted though. Carefully, they worked in a group, advancing slowly to the main factory shed. They advanced very slowly, checking whether there were some sign of guards hidden. Captain Stevens and Richard checked their flanks while Lizzie and Anna protected the rearguard.

As they reached the door, Captain Stevens opened the large and rusty iron door. The factory shed seemed to be deserted. It was dark inside, but not completely dark, as faint lights of the sunset breached in the large building through windows and glass panes on the ceiling. Captain Stevens and Richard stepped into the building, turning the flashlights mounted on their rifles on. They examined the large room, but all they could see were large boxes and some machines. The factory disguise was not an amateur job. Among the machines, there were paper manufacturing machines, giving credibility to their claims of a regular factory. For a moment, Richard wondered if they were not mistaken, but Captain Stevens ordered them to advance. The girls followed suit. Lizzie was somewhat anxious, but smiled to Anna, who was cool, completely comfortable with the dangerous situation.

The group advanced slowly, fearing an attack by hidden guards. They checked carefully every corner of the large factory, though their position was not safe in case a sniper was hidden behind one of the large wooden and steel crates or somewhere in the roof. There was a steel platform on the left side of the room, that could be accessed by a steel ladder. Captain Stevens, fearing that it would be a good spot for a sniper to be hidden, ordered Anna to climb the ladder and check behind the steel wall that separated part of the platform from the main room. While they covered her position, Anna climbed the ladder with great agility. She knew she was in a great danger. If there was a guard hidden on the platform, her head would be exposed to a fatal shot before she could climb the ladder and secure a position on the upper platform. Captain Stevens was sure that if there was such a threat, there was a good chance that Anna would end injured, but she was his only option. He and the cadets were much less agile than her, so if there was such a threat, they'd certainly be killed, while Anna stood a chance of avoiding being hit.

The moments of tension ended when Anna finally made it to the platform. There was no sniper in sight, but there were some hidden rooms behind the steel plates, so Anna motioned with her arms that she would check them. Captain Stevens gave his approval. He and the cadets reorganized themselves in a triangle position. They advanced carefully, but there were no signs of people inside the factory. Anna advanced through the platform and soon she was invisible behind the steel plates. The oppressive feeling in her heart returned full-force. She wondered what could it be, as she usually was very cool during the missions, but this time she felt a strange anxiety, almost a fear. She tried to dismiss the feeling, to not put the mission on risk. As she had just stepped into the protected corridor, the sudden lights being turned on startled her. The factory shed was completely illuminated. She retraced her steps and looked back to see what had happened.

Anna caught the glimpse of the situation and her heart started racing like mad. On the ground level, her companions were surrounded by a dozen or more heavily armed bandits. The bandits ordered them to drop their guns and lay down on the floor. The three captured officers acquiesced. Though Anna was hidden, she was less than ten yards from her companions, so he could see the scene perfectly from there. She also could hear the bandits talking, as they talked out loud and laughed of the captured officers.

"Oh, look at these fools! They fell on our trap!" A bandit laughed.

"Yeah, these officers are a bunch of idiots. That is why we must get rid of them." The other bandit, who seemed to be the leader of the group, was serious.

Anna climbed down the platform in a stealthy way and hid herself behind a steel crate. She was very near from the group now. She studied the possibilities of an attack on the bandits, but they were too many and she would put her companions' lives in jeopardy. She was destined to watch the scenes unfold before her eyes, powerless to act. It was to her as if the time was passing in slow-motion, as she could recall every word, every movement of the people involved in it. The one that seemed to be the leader pointed to Captain Stevens.

"That must be the leading officer. Hey, you." He grabbed the arm of his companions who was holding a small rifle and pushed him towards Captain Stevens. "Finish him."

"No, please... spare us... we didn't mean to kill you..." Captain Stevens tried to reason with the bandits.

"Save your excuses for the devil!" The leader kicked him in the head. "Finish him now!"

The bandit who was ordered to finish the officer stepped closer to the captain, dislodged his helmet with the rifle's barrel and pulled the trigger, aiming at the captain's temple. The bullet opened a hole in the captain's skull, sending some fragments of his skull and brain flying in the air. Soon, a large pool of blood was formed around his head. He died instantly. Some of the bandits laughed at the scene.

Lizzie let out a scream of fear and shock. Anna was shocked too, but suppressed her scream. Anna was even more shocked than Lizzie. She wanted to do something, perform a last stand against the bandits, but she was paralyzed with fear. She sweated and shivered in terror. That could not be happening again. People that she loved being mercilessly murdered in front of her. And she was again unable to do anything. She couldn't believe that. She just couldn't believe.

One of the bandits stepped on Lizzie's head after she let out the scream. "Shut up, witch, you will be next next to die!" But then the leader of the band turned his attention to Richard. He ordered the guy that had executed Captain Stevens to proceed the same way with Richard. The man didn't hesitate. He dislodged Richard's helmet, aimed at his temple and pulled the trigger. Richard didn't react. He was very frightened and he knew he would die, but he somehow had some hopes that the bandits would not murder his sister if he did not react. His skull burst with the impact of the bullet, sending fragments of his skull and brains to the air. His face was frozen in an horror-stricken countenance. He had died too.

Lizzie let out another scream in terror and started crying. Anna could see from her hiding place that the girl was trembling in fear. Anna was also trembling in fear, more shocked than before. She couldn't believe Richard, who was smiling at her five minutes before, was a dead man now. She wanted to do something, but she was in shock. Tears started falling from her eyes. She was completely useless, powerless to stop the brutal murders. She had failed as an officer. She had failed as Lizzie's friend.

The bandits were laughing again. Anna could not believe how people could laugh after killing the others. She had killed people before, but she never had rejoiced their deaths. Though she seemed to be a cold-blooded woman, with no remorse, only she knew how much remorse she felt for killing people. The leader of the group bid the man that had executed the two men to continue his task, but the man hesitated.

"What will we do with the girl?

"Kill her. She is a damned cop as the other guys are." The leader answered.

"But..."

Some men of the group were uneasy. They were bandits, even murderers, but many were not comfortable with the idea of executing a woman, regardless of her having the same position as the men they had just murdered. Some still had a misogynist view that they should abuse the woman, not really caring if she was attractive or not, as they saw it as a better punishment and they considered women as possessions of men. But the leader of the group had already made up his mind. He took a hand cannon from one of his companions by force and started kicking Lizzie´s head to remove the helmet from her head. Not that it would be necessary, since the force of the hand cannon shot would kill the woman no matter what helmet she used.

"Damn! She is a cop like the others. I´ll show you guys how it is to be made, your bunch of cowards!"

The man kept kicking Lizzie's head, who moaned in pain. She was somewhat in shock, trembling and crying. Anna was in shock too. She couldn't take her eyes off her friend. She was paralyzed in fear. She wanted to do something, to throw her slashers at the scoundrel who was harming Lizzie, take a last stand, even knowing she and her friend would die anyway. It would be better than see her friend mercilessly killed in front of her. But she couldn't, she was paralyzed with fear. Something that had never happened to her before. She realized that she was not a mighty machine of solving military missions. She was just a woman.

The leader of the group finally kicked the helmet out of Lizzie's head. He aimed at her temple and started the procedure to shoot, which took some seconds for the gun he was using. There was an ecstatic silence in the room. Lizzie was in shock. She knew she would die. She was trembling, crying. And, though not particularly religious, she was silently praying for Anna's safety. All she wished for was that Anna was not discovered by the group of bandits and managed to get out of that place in safety, as she was hopeless for herself. Fool as Lizzie was, she was not fool enough to believe a miracle would save her.

Anna was watching the scene and her shock made her hallucinate a bit. In her mind, she could see Lizzie staring at her begging for help. She wanted to help, but she couldn't. That couldn't be happening. That just couldn't be happening. Not to Lizzie. Not to the most good-hearted girl she had ever met. Not to the one that had saved her live before. Though Lizzie was much more emotional than her and was not so efficient during the missions, she had saved Anna's life not only once, at the expense of serious injures. And Anna was unable to do anything to save her life. She was in shock, paralyzed, in terror, doomed to watch her best friend be mercilessly murdered in front of her eyes.

The bandit finally managed to shoot the hand cannon. The force of the shot was so strong that the recoil or the cannon made him fall back. The massive bullet smashed Lizzie's skull, sending skull fragments, brains, blood and chunks of her auburn hair flying. Her sweet hazelnut eyes fell from their sockets, her teeth were sent flying away. Her front buck teeth were sent flying in Anna's direction, hitting the steel container she was hiding behind. Anna's heart almost stopped with the shock. She just could not believe her eyes. The deafening sound of the cannon, the head literally exploding, its parts being scattered all over the room, the terrifying aspect of Lizzie's face after the shot, everything would be imprinted in Anna's mind forever. These images would be a recurring nightmare. That shouldn't have happened. Not with Lizzie. Of all the people in the world, the girl was the one who deserved it less. Anna couldn't stop crying. Once again, all her loved ones were killed and she was unable to help them.

After some seconds of silence still, the bandits started laughing and clapping their hands, as if the result of the last shot had produced a work of art. The bandit leader was stunned for some seconds, but then joined his companions in mocking the girl´s death. The laughter made Anna angry, very angry. She just couldn't believe how they could be so heartless. She had killed before, but it was in desperate situations. She suffered so much for having to murder people. How could they laugh? How could they laugh at the death of her dear friend? How could they laugh at the death of such a good-hearted and innocent girl? That was too much for Anna. If she was not in shock, she would fight them fiercely and kill all that were laughing of her friend's death. But that would not bring Captain Stevens, Richard or Lizzie back. She would never see Lizzie again. Never see her sweet smile again. Never hear her childish voice again. Never hear her laughter again. Never feel her love again.

The bandits left the place, leaving it deserted. From what Anna could catch from their conversation, they were leaving the factory for good. The anonymous calls were only a trap to kill some cops, as they intended to deactivate the false paper factory and take their drug and explosives business somewhere else. After almost an hour, crying silently, in shock, Anna managed to get out of the container. She stood up, crying, looking at the scene. Then, she called the reinforcements with the bad news.

"Please... help us... bandits killed them... killed them... help..." Anna' s voice was so charged with emotion that the officers didn't really understand the situation, but even so they sent the reinforcements. Fearing facing strong opposition, high grade officers were sent to the abandoned building, but they didn't not find anyone. In fact, they did find the guard Anna had captured still handcuffed. Either the large group of bandits didn't notice him or they didn't care. Arriving at the scene, the officers realized that there was no danger, the building was abandoned. Inside the factory shed, they found the corpses of Captain Stevens and Richard. They also found the horrific result of Lizzie's murder, with blood, flesh and bone fragments scattered for several yards on the floor. Besides, they found Anna, lying on the floor, with her head on Lizzie's chest, sobbing bitterly. She had to be dragged from the place, still in shock, not being able to mutter anything else than her beloved friend's name.


End file.
